Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 - Level 1

3 – Creating a presentation Creating a presentation

PowerPoint can be so much fun to use that it would be easy to jump in and start playing around without planning your presentation first. Unfortunately, if you try this approach, you could spend much more time fiddling with your presentation than is necessary.

The first stage in creating a presentation is to consider the design of the presentation. You then need to consider the content – what are the key ideas that you want to get across?

Once you have a design and the content sorted out, you can use PowerPoint to put these two together quickly and easily to create a presentation with a professional and consistent appearance.

In this booklet we will show you how to:

- gain an understanding of some factors that affect the design of a presentation
- gain an understanding of presentation methods and hardware
- gain an understanding of design principles
- create a blank presentation
- create a presentation based on a template
- create a presentation based on a theme
- type text in the Outline pane
- save a presentation
- insert new slides and text
- preview a slide show. PLANNING A PRESENTATION

The first stage in creating a presentation is the planning phase. At this stage you need to consider the purpose of your presentation, your intended audience, the format of the presentation, the time you have to present it and the delivery method. By understanding these factors, you can begin to consider presentation design as well as content.

Planning For Effective Presentations

Planning a presentation is important if you want to ensure that you communicate your intended message effectively. Consider each of the following factors when planning your presentation, as they will help you to determine your overall presentation design and layout. For example, the colours you use in your presentation may be determined by the audience. A younger audience may prefer brighter colours, whereas a presentation to the Board might require that you use conservative or company colours.

| Purpose | Write a short statement that outlines the purpose of the presentation. Is it, for example, to persuade others to make a decision? Or, perhaps you are informing others of new or updated practices. The purpose of the presentation will help to determine the content to include, and also help to set the tone of the presentation (such as formal or informal). | | Theme | Make sure you choose a presentation design that compliments your topic. For example, a template with a crayon design might be great for communicating the new plans for a children’s classroom or childcare centre, but would be totally inappropriate for an Accountant’s annual report – unless it was intended to add an air of humour! | | Audience | Who is your audience? Who will be viewing the presentation? Are they knowledgeable about the subject or complete novices? What is their age, background, location and position in the company? The design and language you use, and the level of animation applied, will depend on who you are trying to communicate with. | | Key Ideas | What is the most important idea that you are trying to communicate? What other ideas do you want to focus on during the presentation? These ideas must take centre stage in your presentation, and they must clearly leap out of the presentation as being important. | | Action Required | What action do you want to take place as a result of your presentation? Do you want people to support your proposal? Do you want feedback on the information you have provided? Maybe you need to include a slide that provides a plan of action or contact details. | | Timeframe | How much time do you have to present the information? Make sure you don’t have too many slides to cover in the available time. It is highly unlikely that you will have too few, but if you do you can simply make more time available for questions or discussion. | | Time of Day | If you are presenting in the early afternoon or evening, you may want to add a bit more pizzazz to retain audience interest than if you are presenting early in the morning. | | Presentation Method | This is another important consideration, as it will affect the presentation design also. For example, if you are printing the slides to use on an overhead transparency projector, you will need to ensure you have little to no colour (or backgrounds). If the presentation is to be uploaded to the internet for others to view, will it be a self-running presentation or will you enable user control over the presentation, for example? | PRESENTATION METHODS AND HARDWARE

Presentations can be made in a variety of ways and with a range of equipment. The means of presenting a show will depend on the size and location of your intended audience, whether or not you need to make the presentation available on an ongoing basis such as a lecture, whether the presentation is interactive, and the equipment available to you. This table discusses the options.

Equipment Used For Presentations

**Laptop Computer** Laptop computers are ideal for transporting a presentation. They can be used for small audiences, as with the desktop computer, but most often are taken to the audience with the presentation ready to run. The laptop is then hooked up to projection equipment and the show will run from the laptop. The advantage of this setup is that the presentation can be created and tested on the computer that will be used to present it, leaving less room for error.

**Video Projectors** Video projectors are connected to a computer and are used to project the computer image onto a projection surface. This is the most commonly used means of projection.

**Desktop Computer** A desktop computer can be used to present information to a small audience or can be used as a kiosk for situations like trade shows and the like. It is ideal for interactive shows where you require the audience to navigate themselves. If you plan to distribute a show, such as product information, or a lecture including video and notes, you can design your presentation to suit a particular computer monitor.

**Overhead Projectors and Data Shows** An overhead projector can be used to project overheads created in PowerPoint, or together with a data show and a computer, can be used to project the slides directly from PowerPoint. A data show is a tablet that sits over the top of an overhead projector and displays a see-through image of what appears on the computer screen. These have been made largely redundant by the reduction in price of video projectors.

**Internet and Network Access** Presentations can be made available over the internet or local network, and even scheduled for special broadcast times. Internet and network access means that people in a wide range of locations and in different time zones can watch the same presentation. Access can be restricted to a specific audience, and only one copy of the presentation is required.

**Slide Projector** PowerPoint can be used to create 35mm slides and this was common practice before the availability of modern projection technology. The drawback of using slides and a slide projector is that you cannot easily change the content of the slides. In addition, navigation through a presentation will always be linear – you cannot easily jump from one slide to another out of sequence.

**Digital Pointer** A digital pointer is a pointing device used by the presenter during a live presentation to emphasise particular points. Early pointers provided a simple laser light that appeared as a single red dot on the screen, while the latest ones actually enable you to change slides and underline points without having to touch your computer. These act as a wireless mouse as well as a pointer.

**Projection Surfaces** The surface onto which you project your presentation is just as important as the rest of your presentation. If the audience can’t read it, all of your work is wasted. There is a wide range of projection screens available, but even a flat white wall is sufficient. Matt surfaces are far better than gloss ones because a shiny surface can cause very distracting reflections. Remember to test your presentation before you begin – the colour choices must work with the equipment provided. DESIGNING A PRESENTATION

The **design** and **layout** of your presentation will affect whether you get your message across as intended. Although PowerPoint provides many ‘whizz-bang’ features, these should be used sparingly and only to reinforce your message. Poorly-designed presentations may distract the audience and reduce understanding. Keep the following in mind when designing presentations.

**Comprehension**

To ensure easy comprehension by the audience, keep text to a minimum. It is important to be concise when writing for presentations. Use the following guidelines when creating slides.

- Use a slide to introduce one main idea or key topic.
- Limit each slide to between three and five bullet points to support the main idea.
- Try and keep each bullet point to a single line of text.

**Readability**

Font choice and size will impact on readability. The following guidelines will help you to design readable slides.

- Use a **sans-serif** font. A sans-serif font doesn’t have ‘tails’ at the top or bottom of each letter. Arial is an example of a sans-serif font, while **Times New Roman** is a serif font. **Note:** Verdana is the corporate font that should be used on all work related presentations.
- Make sure the font is large enough. Slide text should be visible from the back of the room. Generally, headings are around 36-45 points, while the main body of text and bullet points is around 22 points.
- Make good use of white space on each slide. The more white space that appears on a slide, the easier it will be for the audience to read what does appear. Try to keep a minimum of 20 per cent of white space on all slides.
- Keep the number of colours you use to a minimum. Generally two to three colours per slide is ample. Make sure the colours complement each other and do not interfere with your message.

**Consistency**

To ensure a professional design across your slide presentation, it is important to ensure a consistent look and feel across each slide. People like to see repeating elements on each slide. Here are a few ways you can ensure consistency and also save time when creating presentations.

- Use a design template. Design templates already contain the fonts, colours and other visual elements, so all you have to do is to type in your text. Each slide will have the same look as the others in the presentation.
- Use the same background design on all slides. PowerPoint has many background designs for you to choose from, which can be easily applied to all slides. **Note:** there are WSCC corporate templates on the intranet.
- Use the same fonts, font sizes and other formatting attributes throughout your presentation. For example, if you have used yellow bullets on one slide, make sure you use yellow bullets on all slides. CREATING A BLANK PRESENTATION

If you plan to create a presentation with your own design, the Blank Presentation template would be a good place to start. This default template is perfect when you require little in the way of design and colour. This template is also appropriate for very simple slides that could be used as overhead transparencies since the default font colour is black.

Try This Yourself:

Before starting this exercise make sure that PowerPoint is open...

1. Click on the File tab, then click on New to display Available Templates and Themes Here you can create a blank presentation or you can create a presentation based on a design template or theme...

2. Ensure that Blank Presentation is selected, then click on [Create] A new blank presentation will open. All blank presentations will have the default Office theme applied to them – notice that “Office Theme” appears on the Status bar at the bottom of the PowerPoint window. You will now close the presentation...

3. Click on the File tab, then click on Close to close the presentation

For Your Reference...

To create a blank presentation:

1. Click on the File tab, then click on New
2. Ensure that Blank Presentation is selected
3. Click on [Create]

Handy to Know...

- Press Ctrl + N to create a blank presentation.
- Once you’ve created a presentation based on a template, you cannot apply a different template to that presentation. But you can change the look and feel of your presentation by applying a different Theme (on the Design tab) to the presentation. CREATING A PRESENTATION BASED ON A TEMPLATE

PowerPoint 2010 comes complete with a range of sample templates that you can use. Each template already contains a particular design and layout, so you can choose the template that will most closely represent the tone of your presentation. Then all you really need to do is to type the text. Sample templates can also be downloaded freely from Microsoft’s website.

Try This Yourself:

Before starting this exercise ensure PowerPoint is open...

1. Click on the File tab, then click on New to display Available Templates and Themes
2. Click on Sample Templates to display the range of installed templates
3. Click on Training, then click on [Create] to open a new presentation based on this template
4. Click on the File tab, then click on Close to close the presentation

Now we’ll look at the online templates...

5. Repeat step 1, then click on Presentations under Office.com Templates, then click on Training to display a range of templates in this category
6. Click on Sales training presentation, then click on [Download]

You will receive a message that the file is downloading, and after a moment, a new presentation based on this template will open

7. Click on the File tab, then click on Close to close the presentation

For Your Reference...

To create a presentation based on a template:

1. Click on the File tab, then click on New
2. Click on Sample Templates, then click on a category, or click on a category under Office.com Templates
3. Click on a template, then click on [Create]

Handy to Know...

- To use prescribed company templates or to access templates from the relevant Templates folder on your computer network (if applicable), click on the File tab, click on New, then click on My Templates to display the New Presentation dialog box. Click on a template, then click on [OK]. CREATING A PRESENTATION BASED ON A THEME

A theme is a set of colours, fonts and effects that you can apply to your presentation for a professional-looking finish. Each theme consists of a range of complimentary colours, styles (fonts) and effects, such as animations, so once you’ve applied a theme, all you really need to do is to type the text. Applying a theme ensures a consistent design across your presentation.

Try This Yourself:

Before starting this exercise ensure that PowerPoint is open...

1. Click on the File tab, then click on New to display Backstage view
2. Click on Themes, then scroll down to view the range of available themes
3. Click on Slipstream, then click on [OK] to create a new presentation based on the Slipstream theme

For Your Reference...

To create a presentation based on a theme:

1. Click on the File tab, then click on New
2. Click on Themes
3. Click on a theme to select it
4. Click on [OK]

Handy to Know...

- You can apply a different theme to an existing themed presentation. To do this, click on the Design tab, then select a theme from the Themes gallery.
- All new presentations will be based on the default Office Theme (blank presentation) unless you select another theme. **Typing Text Into the Outline Pane**

Text serves as the framework for your presentation. It is the key to the concepts that you are trying to communicate. You can type text directly onto a slide or you can type it directly into the **Outline** pane.

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**Try This Yourself:**

*Same File*

1. Click on the **Outline** tab, then click to the right of the slide icon.

2. Type **Transport** then press **Enter**.

   *A second slide will be inserted, but we want to add a sub-heading to the first slide...*

3. Press **Tab** to remove slide 2, then type **A New Direction**.

   *Let's insert another slide...*

4. Click on the **Home** tab, then click on the top half of **New Slide** in the **Slides** group to insert slide 2.

   *PowerPoint assumes that we want a bulleted list and therefore inserts the slide layout: Title and Content...*

5. Type **Personal**, press **Enter** then press **Tab** to start a bulleted list.

6. Type the text as shown, pressing **Enter** at the end of a line to create the next bullet point.

   *Now to insert another slide using a different method...*

7. Press **Enter** to move to the next line, then press **Shift + Tab** to remove the indent.

   *A new slide will be inserted...*

8. Using the above steps, create the remaining two slides as shown.

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**For Your Reference...**

To **type text** into the **Outline** pane:

1. Click in the **Outline** pane.
2. Click on the top half of **New Slide** to create a new slide, then type the title text.
3. Press **Enter** then **Tab**, then type the content text, pressing **Enter** at the end of each bullet.

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**Handy to Know...**

- Many people prefer to structure their slide show in the **Outline** pane because it is fast and enables you to see each slide’s relationship with the others. If you prefer, you can type text directly onto the slides in the **Slide** window. SAVING A PRESENTATION

When you save a presentation all changes made to the presentation will be stored in a file. You can then open the file at any time and continue working. It cannot be stressed enough just how important it is to save your work regularly. Once you have saved the presentation the first time, you should then save your work every few minutes where possible.

Try This Yourself:

1. Click on the File tab, then click on Save to open the Save As dialog box. PowerPoint inserts a file name based on the title of your presentation – in this case Transport.pptx. Let’s leave it as that and select a location to save it in...

2. Navigate to the Course Files for PowerPoint 2010 folder if required

3. Click on [Save] to save the presentation as Transport.pptx

For Your Reference...

To save a presentation:

1. Click on the File tab, then click on Save As
2. Type the file name in File name
3. Navigate to the desired folder
4. Click on [Save]

Handy to Know...

- Once you’ve saved your presentation the first time, you can save regularly by clicking on Save in the Quick Access Toolbar or by pressing Ctrl + S.
- To change the file name or location of the presentation, open the Save As dialog box. INSERTING SLIDES AND TEXT

While you really should have decided on the content of the presentation well before starting to build it in PowerPoint, the reality is that you’ll probably need to change the content at some stage. This can mean editing or inserting more text, as well as inserting slides in between others slides. You can insert text and slides easily in the Outline pane.

Try This Yourself:

Same File

1. In the Outline pane, click at the end of Fuel Cell Systems in slide 3
2. Click on the Home tab, then click on the bottom half of New Slide in the Slides group to display the Layout gallery
3. We will insert a new text (content) slide...
4. Click on Title and Content to insert a new slide with a title and content layout
5. Type Freight, then press Enter and then Tab to start a bulleted list
6. Type the text as shown, pressing Enter at the end of the first two bullet points
7. Click on Save in the Quick Access Toolbar to save the changes to your presentation
8. Slide 4 should appear as shown

For Your Reference...

To insert a new slide using the Outline pane:

1. Click at the end of the line after which you want to insert a new slide
2. Click on the top half of New Slide in the Slides group on the Home tab

Handy to Know...

- If you click on the top half of New Slide in the Slides group, a new slide will be inserted into the presentation with the last selected slide layout. PREVIEWING A SLIDE SHOW

Normal view will give you some idea about how your presentation will appear to the audience when presented. But the best way to test the presentation is to preview it as a slide show in Slide Show view. It’s a good idea to test your presentation regularly, especially when you’ve inserted slides, animations and transitions, for example, to make sure you’ve got it right.

Try This Yourself:

Continue using the previous file with this exercise, or open the file P803 Creating A Presentation_2.pptx...

1. Click on the Slide Show tab, then click on From Beginning in the Start Slide Show group The slide show begins from slide 1...

2. Press [Pg Dn] or click with the left mouse button to step through the slide show until you return to Normal view

3. In the Outline pane, click in the heading text on slide 3 – People Transport to display this slide in the Slide window Let’s start the slide show from this page...

4. Click on From Current Slide in the Start Slide Show group

5. Press [Pg Dn] or click with the left mouse button to step through the slide show until you return to the Normal view, or press [Esc] to exit the slide show earlier

6. Click on the File tab, then click on Close to close the presentation, and save the changes if required

For Your Reference...

To preview a slide show from the beginning:

1. Click on From Beginning in the Start Slide Show group on the Slide Show tab

To preview a slide show from the current slide:

1. Click on From Current Slide in the Start Slide Show group on the Slide Show tab

Handy to Know...

- You can preview a slide show from the beginning by pressing [F5].
- You can also preview a slide show in Reading view, which allows you to view the slide show but with the Taskbar is displayed, giving you access to other windows and tasks during the slide show if required. CONCLUDING REMARKS

Congratulations! You have now completed the Creating a presentation booklet. This booklet was designed to get you to the point where you can competently perform a variety of operations as outlined in the task list on page 2.

We have tried to build up your skills and knowledge by having you work through specific tasks. The step by step approach will serve as a reference for you when you need to repeat a task.

Where To From Here... The following is a little advice about what to do next:

- Spend some time playing with what you have learnt. You should reinforce the skills that you have acquired and use some of the application's commands. This will test just how much of the concepts and features have stuck! Don't try a big task just yet if you can avoid it - small is a good way to start.
- Some aspects of the course may now be a little vague. Go over some of the points that you may be unclear about. Use the examples and exercises in these notes and have another go - these step-by-step notes were designed to help you in the classroom and in the work place!

Here are a few techniques and strategies that we've found handy for learning more about technology:

- visit CLD’s e-learning zone on the Intranet
- read computer magazines - there are often useful articles about specific techniques
- if you have the skills and facilities, browse the Internet, specifically the technical pages of the application that you have just learnt
- take an interest in what your work colleagues have done and how they did it - we don't suggest that you plagiarise but you can certainly learn from the techniques of others
- if your software came with a manual (which is rare nowadays) spend a bit of time each day reading a few pages. Then try the techniques out straight away - over a period of time you'll learn a lot this way
- and of course, there are also more courses and booklets for you to work through
- finally, don't forget to contact CLD’s IT Training Helpdesk on 01243-752100